Author Archive: Sharon Perez

What’s a thermal transfer printer?

A thermal transfer printer is a type of printer that creates labels and signs by melting wax or resin-based “ink” onto paper, tape (made of nylon, polyester or vinyl), and even materials like heat shrink tubing. Thermal transfers printers are known for their smear-proof images and resistance to fading and are particularly well suited for creating barcodes.

How do thermal transfer printers work?

The main functional component of a thermal transfer printer is its printhead, which spans the width of whatever tape or printing medium the printer is built to handle. The thermal printhead is made up of tiny heating pins, each of which represents a single pixel (pixel size and density differ by the printer – many handheld models range between 203 and 300 dpi, or dots per inch).

The key material used in thermal transfer printing is wax or resin-based ink, which is loaded into the printer in the form of a ribbon: in a solid state, applied in a very thin layer to a backing of polyester film. This “ink” ribbon is drawn through the printer between the printing medium (paper or tape, as discussed earlier) and the printhead.

The printhead is controlled by a microprocessor, which determines which heating pins need to be activated in order to form a specific image. From there, signals are sent to the selected pins, causing them to rapidly heat and cool against the ink ribbon, melting and transferring ink off of its backing film and onto the blank label surface.

What is the difference between wax-based and resin-based thermal ink ribbons?

The final results might not differ much to the eye, but the truth is that all thermal transfer inks are not created equal. Always be well aware of the demands of your particular application before you choose which type of transfer ribbon to use.

Because of their distinctly different characteristics, wax and resin generally can’t be interchanged, but in some cases, they’re actually combined into a wax-resin hybrid ink. Below, read a little more about the traits of – and best uses for – the 3 main types of thermal transfer inks.

Wax:

Wax thermal transfer ribbons are most commonly used for printing onto paper labels. The images they produce can last for years, but not without protection: wax-printed labels need to stay dry, and are highly sensitive to abrasives, chemicals, and oils, which can wear or melt wax inks away.

Wax-Resin:

Wax-resin compounds work well with smooth – as well as coated -paper labels. The wax-resin combination produces a more refined image, and while it still needs to be guarded against excessive moisture, it offers much more durability than plain wax.

Pure Resin:

Out of the three, the pure resin is the toughest stuff you can print a thermal transfer label from, but it isn’t designed for use with paper. Resin-based thermal inks are engineered to fuse onto vinyl, polyester and polypropylene labels, and are incredibly durable. Plastic label/resin ribbon combinations are made to weather the harshest environments: they won’t fade in sunlight, can be immersed in water, and – depending on the material – can be resistant to damage from oils and chemicals. The resin is the “ink” of choice for marine, automotive, aircraft, industrial, and hazardous chemical applications.

What are the benefits of a thermal transfer printer?

Durable and Fade-Proof:

When you hold them up against traditional ink-on-paper and direct thermal labels, thermal transfer labels – especially the resin ribbon/plastic tape combinations – can’t be beaten for durability and fade resistance. While regular ink bleeds easily, and direct thermal media can darken and become unreadable in the presence of sunlight and heat sources, thermal transfer images offer far greater stability in the face of destructive elements.

Superior Barcodes:

If you’re going to invest time and money into bar-coding your business, you want to be confident that – in the end – the barcodes will actually be readable. Because they’re able to cleanly and precisely print exact bar widths, thermal transfer printers produce the most accurate and easily scan-able barcodes.

PC Compatible:

Many thermal transfer printers on the market are PC-compatible, allowing you to quickly import images and text from your computer to the label printer.

Thermal Transfer vs. Direct Thermal

Direct thermal label printing has traditionally been a niche technology used across several narrow vertical markets including meat, poultry, and dairy. However, developments in thermal paper technology have resulted in a broader range of products that are now suitable for use in many applications across nearly any vertical market. The result has been increased interest in direct thermal as the technology choice for new or upgraded applications.

In simplest terms, thermal transfer printing utilizes a thermal ribbon and direct thermal printing does not. The thermal transfer involves the thermal print head elements (dots) heating the backside of a thermal transfer ribbon to melt and transfer the compounds on the front side of the ribbon to the label material, thus creating the printed image. Direct thermal printing requires a heat sensitive label material. The print head elements come into direct contact with the heat-sensitive material where the heat from the elements causes a color change in the material to create the printed image.

1. Thermal Print Head Life & Cost

Direct thermal printing requires the print head elements be in direct contact with the label material as it is pulled across the print head. Conversely, thermal transfer printing has thermal ribbon acting as a “buffer” between the print head elements and the label material. Many thermal ribbons are designed with a back-coating that serves to increase print head life by reducing static and friction. This benefit is not possible when direct thermal printing due to the lack of ribbon. Instead, the label material is in direct and constant contact with the print head, resulting in increased wear when compared to thermal transfer printing.

Indirect thermal applications, dust and debris that may become present on labels are in direct contact with the print head. As these foreign materials are pulled across the printhead, they may burn onto the elements or physically damage the elements resulting in poor print quality and/or premature print head failure. The same foreign material can exist in thermal transfer printing applications, but the debris would be between the label and the ribbon (i.e. not in contact with the print head elements) reducing the potential for damage.

Print head life in direct thermal printing applications is significantly reduced when compared to thermal transfer printing applications. Generally speaking, a company should anticipate direct thermal print heads providing an expected lifetime of 25% – 50% of a thermal transfer print head. As an example, if a company is printing 10 million, six inch long labels per period with an expected thermal transfer print head life of 4 million inches, they would expect to replace the print head 15 times. If the same application were direct thermal, they would expect to replace the print head 30 – 60 times. Depending upon throughput volumes, the cost differential may be significant and has to be considered in any evaluation.

2. Printer Configuration & Cost

Printer configuration is one area where some cost savings will be available. Thermal transfer printers normally have the capability of printing either thermal transfer or direct thermal. If an organization is only going to print direct thermal, there are printers available that only have the direct thermal capability. These printers are generally less costly to purchase because they do not contain any of the hardware necessary for driving and controlling ribbon. Eliminating the ribbon and ribbon hardware components also results in a less complex printer with fewer parts to wear and/or break, resulting in lower service costs and less downtime over the life of the printer. Additionally, operators don’t have to be concerned with ribbon settings or adjustments, leading to improved uptime and increased efficiency. The process of changing thermal ribbon requires downtime. Even the best operator still needs several minutes to replace the used ribbon with a new roll and downtime costs money. A standard size, 450-meter roll of ribbon will provide about 2,800 six-inch labels. If running 20 products per minute, for example, calculate into the evaluation several minutes of downtime about every 2.5 hours. Doesn’t seem like much? If calculated at 20 hours per day average production, the result over one year would be 144 hours of downtime for ribbon changes.

3. Media Selection & Cost

Media choice directly impacts the cost of labels, it will also impact the life of the print head, upper-end print speed capabilities, and print quality. These are important considerations as they may impact the ongoing cost of operations. Printhead and label are in direct contact with one another during the direct thermal printing process. Therefore, the media acts as a direct abrasive as it is pulled across the print head. If the labels are too abrasive, they will prematurely wear out the print head resulting in increased replacement costs. Many believe the use of a “coated” direct thermal label is a better solution than an “un-coated” label. It may be, but don’t depend simply on the description that a direct thermal label is “coated” to mean it’s a good label. Inferior labels can be coated the same as any other label. Therefore, a “coated” label doesn’t necessarily mean it will outperform a non-coated label. There’s no getting away from the label abrading the print head, but the choice of media can make a huge difference in the frequency of printhead replacement.

Different labels will image at different temperatures resulting in varying quality of print at different printer speed and heat settings. Choose media that can image at the printer speeds necessary to meet the production line’s throughput requirements while minimizing the printer’s heat setting. At the same time, print quality must be considered. Poor print quality can lead to un-scannable barcodes resulting in supply chain inefficiency and retailer charge-backs. Reputable label converters should have considerable experience with a variety of direct thermal label materials and should be able to provide several good suggestions as a starting point for media testing. When comparing the direct costs associated with media selection, one has to compare the cost of thermal transfer labels plus thermal transfer ribbon with the cost of direct thermal media. Eliminating the use of ribbon obviously eliminates the cost associated with the ribbon. However, the higher cost of direct thermal labels over thermal transfer labels generally wipes out that savings and then some. Media costs are all over the board depending upon the actual media selected, the label size and the volumes purchased. As a general rule, direct thermal labels will cost more than thermal transfer labels plus ribbon. However, the cost differential can be as low as 5% or as high as 50% depending upon the factors cited above.

Label Life Requirements

Requirements surrounding label life get back to the heart of the difference between direct thermal labels and thermal transfer labels…direct thermal printed labels simply do not offer the same lifetime as a thermal transfer printed label. An organization must know its label life requirements before considering direct thermal labels.

If the product being labeled could be in the supply chain for an extended period of time or in extreme conditions such as direct sunlight or chemical contact, then the technology used should likely be thermal transfer. For example, building materials are often transported unprotected and stored outdoors. Not a good choice for direct thermal technology. Another consideration would be if the information on the label is extremely critical and must be readable for an indeterminate amount of time. Examples might include pharmaceutical products or hazardous materials. These items should likely utilize thermal transfer printed labels to ensure a long lifetime.

Conversely, if the product has a short life in the supply chain and is not exposed to harsh environmental conditions, then direct thermal may very well be a good choice. Examples of this type of product could include fresh meat, dairy products, and shipped parcels. Regulatory requirements for privacy of information are another area impacting the use of direct thermal media. In healthcare, patient privacy can be at risk of personal information is available on used thermal transfer ribbon. This has led to an increased use of direct thermal media for prescription labels and patient wristbands, for example.

Environmental Considerations

In today’s world waste reduction, lower carbon footprints and sustainability are increasingly part of corporate mission statements and, in some cases, used to increase competitive advantage. Thermal ribbon uses a poly-based carrier made, in part, from crude oil products. Eliminating the use of thermal transfer ribbon can therefore positively impact a company’s goal for a reduced carbon footprint. The direct thermal technology eliminates the use of thermal ribbons and therefore eliminates the waste created through its use, but it is not suitable for all application. As advances in direct thermal materials continue to expand the potential use applications, the above considerations will take on increased importance in organizations where the choice of technology exists.

The Linerless Kit Option is designed to print self-adhesive labels without backing papers. The elimination of backing paper means less consumption and less waste making it a great solution for the environmentally conscious organization.

Evaluating these criteria and their associated costs is the only way to determine the best course of action. Each organization and potentially each use application within an organization will be different and will require evaluation based on the application’s unique needs.

Throughout all of the excitement of preparing for the autumn, it’s important we all don’t overlook making our houses.

We’ve put together a listing of items to do before the fall weather strikes full pressure in the forthcoming weeks. Take a look!

Get Your Heating Method Inspected

What better time than before you’ll have to make use of it? Employ an expert to come out correctly before cold weather begins to make sure that your system is working properly.

Assess and Clean Fireplace

Possessing a nest near the peak of the chimney could cause dangerous conditions should you light your fireplace before eliminating it.

Change Air Filters

You need to alter your air filters every couple of months. Fall is a good time to modify your filter. Additionally, a new filter will keep your family healthier through winter and autumn.

Assess for Drafts

Verify the seals and caulking around the chimney to make sure they’re in good shape. Leaks cannot just make your house colder; they’re also able to make your electrical bills grow substantially during the autumn and winter season.

Install Storm Windows

If you reside in a home with the removable display or a region which takes them, then fall is the ideal time to put in your storm windows.

Assess Fire Extinguisher

Like we mentioned previously, colder weather usually means using fireplaces and heaters. It’s important to make sure your smoke along with other sensors is functioning properly during those months.

Install Outdoor Lighting

Cooler weather also indicates that the days are shorter. Possessing outside lightings, such as lanterns across the paths and trails, in addition to spotlights close to the doorway, are crucial in the autumn and wintertime.

Assess and Clean Gutters

Among essential components of preparing for the fall and winter would be getting your gutters cleaned once (though throughout the fall Toronto company recommend three days). Have one of our specialists come clean and inspect your gutters until the autumn foliage begins to shoot over.

Online tutoring offers great flexibility to the pupils along with the coaches the significant edge for the students and coach being they can learn/teach in the comfort of the houses.

Another important reason behind the success of on-line tutoring is the lower price of coaching The access to coaches was previously limited to all those living close-by to the pupil. Using the on-line training, the coach is now able to be found in just about any corner of the planet.

Tutoring Businesses

As the interest in on-line instruction grew, several tutoring firms surfaced on the horizon. These On-Line Tutoring Businesses such as tutors in Brampton usually offer to tutor in various areas so a pupil can get tutoring in just about any field wanted by him.

This culture of activity in tutoring, however, can’t be termed as the very best solution in on-line training. With big education firms that are frequently an issue as their coaches cater to your high quantity of pupils and therefore will not be dedicated to one student. While most on-line tutoring firms offer the ‘favorite coach’ system in particular sort or the other, the accessibility to the personal coach can’t be ensured being reserved using many pupils.

Freelance Coaches

On the other hand will be the freelance trainers who offer On-Line Tutoring on the net. Most of the coaches record together with the coach web directories for his or her availability. Coaches are having their sites certainly are a rarity – likely because of the expense entailed. Those who do have their particular sites and therefore can make themselves on the web are probably the most suitable choice for on-line tutoring. They join the finest of on-line education and offer continued supporting and committed learning support to the pupils.

Training Content

Some the tutoring firms use their ‘exceptional training content’ which is specially developed remembering the demands of the pupils. There isn’t any doubt that specially developed training material is useful in imparting education. It has to be nevertheless recognized that there’s no lack of training content online with the majority of schools and school sites providing free premium quality training content. What’s most significant is the skill of the coach to help make the pupil imbibe the training content correctly.

Coach Remuneration

In the event of freelance coaches, the total compensation produced by the pupils goes to the coach who’s free to establish his cost. In the case of tutoring businesses, the firm would pay the coaches minimum wages, keeping most of the gains for themselves. This clearly impacts the standard of coaches who’d prepare yourself to serve together.

Choosing the Right Coach

Making the best selection of the Internet Coach yet may be hard. Considering the websites offering these services aren’t the swanky large banner ad sites, it’s tough to estimate the art of the coach in the very first example. It’s wise to examine the credentials and expertise of the trainer. Before ultimately picking out a coach, the student must require a Totally Free Demo Session. Almost all the coaches provide the opening demo session to ensure they’re able to connect to the pupil. This supplies an excellent chance to the student to estimate the coach first hand, and when found appropriate, he can log into the coach to finalize his program.

The grade of tutoring additionally relies upon the tools for teaching utilized by the coach. The pupil should value them well through the demo session before enrolling in on-line tutoring.

Buying a piece of expensive artwork is the easy part – the hard part is figuring out a way to package up that piece of art in a way that it won’t be damaged when it’s delivered to wealthy art collectors. As a result, art galleries have come up with a time-tested approach to packaging up and shipping expensive pieces of art all over the country, and, indeed, all over the world.

The first step in the process is determining the height and weight dimensions of the art being shipped. As a rule of thumb, art galleries prefer to use boxes in one of three specific dimensions (e.g. 36x6x42 for the biggest paintings and 28x4x24 for smaller paintings). When paintings are different dimensions, it’s sometimes possible to “telescope” smaller boxes together, to create a custom box size. The goal is to find a box that’s just slightly larger than the piece of art that will go inside.

And don’t worry – art gallery owners and museum curators have all sorts of tools at their disposal to cut exactly the right size box for you. They even have a special tool to make tiny perforations in the cardboard to make it easier to cut and bend. And they use a tool that some home craftsmen use – the T-Square – to make sure all the edges are straight and even.

From there, art galleries will typically use some sort of plastic wrapping to cover the surface of the painting. The goal is to wrap the painting in a very secure plastic wrap to avoid scuffs, scratches or other blemishes. This is similar to the process of plastic wrapping a pallet of goods or plastic wrapping a suitcase at the airport to protect it on airplanes.

Then, the art gallery will “double-box” the painting by taping together a protective cardboard layer around the plastic-wrapped painting. This prevents any sharp objects or edges from interacting with the picture itself.

From there, the gallery or museum will use bubble wrap as a liner. They will almost never use Styrofoam peanuts for expensive artwork for one single reason – during transit, the peanuts tend to settle to the bottom of the box, meaning that the painting will not be as protected at the end of the shipping process as it was at the beginning. And there’s nothing more horrifying for an art collector than to find out that his or her new painting has been damaged upon shipping!

The next-to-last step is to slide this painting into the outer box. Since the outer box is bigger than the piece of art by just 1-2 inches, the painting should slide in securely, without any risk of shifting or moving around during the shipping process. Art galleries will then use the strongest packaging tape available to make sure the whole outer box is protected from any rips, seams or openings. The final step is a slap on some “Fragile” stickers, and the box is ready to be shipped off to the wealthy art collector.

Car shows are a fun event that car owners and enthusiasts look forward to each year. It’s a time when you get to show up and show off your prized car or perhaps just take some time and stroll through the city hosting the auto show and take a gander at some of the great vintage vehicles others have brought. Sometimes there are prizes for different types of vehicles, vendors, one of the best cities that anyone can visit for a great annual vintage auto show happens to be in Brampton City in Ontario, Canada.

Brampton City Vintage auto show 2016

Each year the city of Brampton hosts a vintage car show and makes a bit a day of family fun of it. First, those who attend will get to watch the parade in which the vintage cars take a stroll around Brampton which will also have art booths and food booths set up accordingly. The event usually lasts from around July to the 18th and continues until the 20th Each year the car show has gotten bigger and more things have been added as the Rotary Club continues to raise funds and support the car show. Over the last few years, they’ve gone as far as adding it to the grassroots festival. This year, more local shop joined the support and sponsor roles for the event. Noticeably, the auto glass business near the heart of downtown. visit them at autoglassrepairbrampton online

Of course, you’ll find there is a judging contest which includes different car classes and will judge on things like the condition of the vehicle inside and out, how well it works and the restoration job In some cases, each car will also be judged on overall appearance. There is just a lot of fun to be had for those who enjoy vintage car shows and need something to do. Of course, one of the added bonus’s is the ability to talk it up with the owners of these vintage cars and ask whatever questions you may have or just take part in voting on your favorite.

Awards for the car show winners can vary year by year. Some years there has been cash awarded prizes while other times there are ribbons, trophies, and have even been gift certificates of varying sorts. These car shows are really something for the entire family and there is a good bit to do. The Rotary club has done a fantastic job each year making it a family event and making sure that no matter your age, there is something to do for anyone. Since it’s been combined with the grassroots festival, those who come to visit or partake in the car show will get to ease their ears to some of the greatest and most infamous singers and bands of all time including, but not limited to people like Sinatra. For everybody who wants to participate in the car show can contact the Rotary club for more information. Spots are often limited, and it’s best to call ahead. The same can be said for anyone who wishes to set up a booth.

I am Stephen J. Brown, and I am a local sketch artist. I am very much into cars, and Corvette Stingray amazes me the most. In our local museum, there is a vintage Corvette Stingray, and it has been maintained by the best auto repair companies of the locality. This beauty was first built in the year 1953, and the seventh generation was built in the year 2016. This fantastic car is the first convertible which was presented in 1953 at GM Motorama as a concept show car. Corvette Stingray is recently manufactured in Bowling Green of Kentucky. The vintage Corvette has a body with the delicate steering wheel, headlamps, dashboard, seats, etc., in one word; every item used in making a Corvette is very exclusive. Born from precision performance and brilliant engineering, this vintage car is the best and perfect driving machine. The driver-oriented cockpit of Corvette is a foundation of purpose, and the assertive sculpture of exterior is the testimonial of intent. The whole elements serve a purpose from intelligent driver control to the functional exterior vents. Each and every feature of the vintage Corvette makes it the quickest, the most refine as well as the fastest car of the past times.

I was very excited and amazed seeing this red and beautiful Corvette showcased in the museum. The Corvette has been protected and maintained by local auto repair shops. The top auto repair shops especially windshield glass repair shop have a significant value on the preservation of this beauty. These classic cars are the most straightforward and simple vehicles to manage as said by the auto glass repair shop who have been looking after the auto glass related matters of the car. Unlike the latest cars, you do not require to run to you local GM in the case of problems like simple new headlight change. So, it is kind of easy to maintain the parts like head light, horn, backlight, etc. added to them. But, one of the main concerns is auto glass. As we all know, auto glass is one of the most significant structural support as well as it protects the interior of the car. So, for preserving the car in the museum, it is required to have the best auto glass service. The windshield of the car which always gets dirty due to the dust in the air needs to be cleaned on a daily basis as it is the attraction of the local people, no one would like to see a dirty car in the museum According to them, regular maintenance and proper care ensure longevity and reliability of the car. The other repair service centre further added the corvettes should be kept inside because sunlight, precipitation, and changes in temperature can damage the exterior of the car. They added the battery should be unhooked because it causes damage to the engine and electric fire as well. The repair shop who deals with the oil change says, though it is kept for museum oil the change is needed for maintaining the proper condition of the car.

All the top notch repair shops worked efficiently for the maintenance and care of this beauty. They are taking care of this car in the best possible way.

Auctions can be a great way to raise awareness and funds for any type of cause. They can be done live, online or both and can potentially reach interested individuals from all over the world. And one way to increase your auctions visibility and bring in hundreds or thousands of more donation is through implementing SEO tactics. This was made relevant when an auction had been going on for a length of time with just the local community interested in the items up for bid. Some of these items include unique paintings from the group Seven When the local community entrusted their efforts into the hands of an SEO service company, thousands of Seven fans became interested in the auction. These efforts quickly lead to a very generous buyer who bought the painting for the asking price. Without the additional benefits of hiring an SEO firm the auction would not have gain as much publicity or funding.

How Can An SEO Service Benefit Your Auction Or Non-Profit?

Before you understand just how beneficial SEO can be to your nonprofit it is best to have a clear understanding of what SEO is. SEO, search engine optimized is a marketing strategy that makes it easier for your website, organization or auction to be found on search engines. This is done through the code and content available on a website and when done effectively will get your content found sooner in search engine results. When you rank higher in search engine results more traffic is driven to your site or content. Why is this important? From the example in the introduction it can be incredibly important for bringing more awareness to your cause and increase your fundraiser efforts. The fastest way anyone is going to learn more about a cause and how to donate or volunteer is through a quick online search. IF your content or website is not properly SEO than you lose out on thousands of searchers learning about your cause. This higher you rank on the search results the more likely your website will be visited and this can increase the chances of even more interested individuals getting involved or making a donation. This in turn makes it more possible for you to accomplish the mission you have set out for your cause. In the cause with the local auction suddenly reaching thousands of new interested individuals SEO was used to tap into a new market. Not only where those holding the auction able to draw interested to the auction because of the cause but they were able to reach a completely new audience that would have never of known about the auction if it were not for the helpfulness of SEO. They were able to target two separate audiences and bring them together for the auction. This turned out to be highly beneficial for the auctioneers. If you want to bring more awareness to your cause or an upcoming event or fundraiser it can be beneficial to reach out to an SEO company to help you better reach a much wider audience that you would have neglected.

The Newtown Art Festival is looking for volunteers. From Sunday, September 15, all week through the Festival at Fairfield Hills Saturday and Sunday, September 21-22. Ushers, house managers, help with set up, runners, stage workers, aides, parking directors and generally helpful people. Of all ages. If you’ve got the enthusiasm, we’ve got an event that needs your help and will lift your spirits. Contact Jen atjdmp7896@gmail.com for more information

If you’re 13 or older…and you probably are if you’re reading this, you’ll get a t-shirt, some community service hours if you’re a student, and a good feeling in your heart. You may even learn something or make a friend or two. For more info about the Festival

GREAT NEWS!!! Our t-shirts are once again available online for purchase. They are only available until September 13th. The money, of course, helps support

Newtown and the Sandy Hook Community are deeply appreciative of the outpouring of love, support and generosity from our fellow citizens locally, regionally, nationally and worldwide.

To facilitate support and coordinate arts-focused efforts made on our behalf for today, tomorrow and into the future we have designated this website to be managed by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, supported by the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut and the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA).

As Newtown and the Sandy Hook Community work through the many stages of healing we invite you to visit this site often to learn how you can help and how to become part of our arts healing process. This arts action team will address all related inquiries, ideas, and fundraising. An official arts healing fund has been established for this purpose.